Can I clean out my own sewer?

Question

I bought a house in the country ayear and a half ago. The previous owner said that he had the sewer pumped out every 2 years at the cost of about 700 bucks. Can't I do that myself? How? Do I rent some equipment? Where do I take it (i have a field that could use fertilizer). Do I treat it with something when I'm done. This doesn't seem like rocket science. Plus, it'd be a great story to tell my grandkids some day.

Answer 1

Get a vacuum truck to do it...be sure not to put harsh chemicals down the drain as it kills the bacteria that breakdown solids and should make the need to have it pumped out further apart. There are also products to put in the septic to aid in the breakdown.

Answer 2

believe me you don't want to do this yourself it should only cost around 150 to 200 dollars the seven hundred number is way out of line.

Answer 3

One does not 'pump out' a sewer.  A sewer is a waste pipe that carries away sewage, usually to a waste treatment plant or maybe even the ocean. They're usually in cities and residential areas.

In rural areas, outside of municipalities, where properties are a good distance apart, cesspools are used. A cesspool is a underground cistern that waste water and sewage flow into. It usually has an open bottom and/or perforated sides so the sewage can percolate into the surrounding area.

If or when the cesspool fills up, you'll have toilets not flushing properly. Whatever has the lowest drain, probably a bathtub, will have 'stuff' coming up and out it's drain, especially when you run water or flush a toilet. A white carpet won't be white any longer (I know!).

To have it pumped, you call someone to pump it out. They'll come with a tank truck with a pump. they'll find the opening and, well, pump it out and take it away.

You can do it yourself, but unless you have a big tank and a pump and somewhere to put it, well, you don't want to do this with a bucket. You also do not want to use human waste as fertilizer.

If you do have a cesspool, learn how to live with it. Don't use any more water than you have to. Don't flush as often. Make sure the toilet doesn't 'run on'. Do use easily degraded 'safe for septic systems' toilet paper, maybe from an RV supplier. Don't put garbage down the drain.

There are different cesspool treatments you can buy, sometimes in gallon jugs, that help the stuff in there dissolve and disperse into the surrounding area.

BTW, just like anything else, if the thing backs up and you have to call the guy out Sunday afternoon it'll cost you more than it would if you could do it at his convenience. In other words, it shouldn't be an emergency.

Good luck.